Facilitating use of a device based on short-range wireless technology

ABSTRACT

Various devices may include a short-range wireless transmitter and/or one or more short-range wireless readers. When a first device including the transmitter is placed near a second device including the one or more readers, a relative location of the first device may be determined. Information regarding the relative location of the first device, may be used to facilitate use of the first device with a processing device. In one embodiment, the processing device may automatically configure itself, such that the first device may be used with the processing device. In another embodiment, the processing device may provide feedback, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions to facilitate setup and use of the first device with the processing device. In some embodiments, an application program interface may provide information about the device to an application executing on the processing device.

This application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/725,960, filed in the U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice on Mar. 20, 2007.

BACKGROUND

A user of a processing device, such as a personal computer, may arrangemultiple display monitors on a desk for use with the processing device.Such an arrangement requires the user to have a significant level ofskill to configure the multiple display monitors to properly work withthe processing device, given a relative location of the multiple displaymonitors with respect to one another, an orientation of the multipledisplay monitors, and types and capabilities of the multiple displaymonitors. For example, the user may need to take initiative to discoverdisplay monitor sharing technologies and to learn how to configuremultiple display monitors to share display screens. Further, whenconfiguring a second display monitor to work with a processing deviceand a first display monitor, the processing device may assume that thesecond display monitor has a specific relative location to the firstdisplay monitor. For example, the processing device may assume that thesecond display monitor is physically located on a right side of thefirst display monitor, thereby requiring the user to indicate to theprocessing device a correct relative physical location of the seconddisplay monitor with respect to the first display monitor when thesecond display monitor does not have the relative location assumed bythe processing device.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that is further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In embodiments consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure, afirst device, to be used with a processing device, may include ashort-range wireless transmitter. A second device, to be used with theprocessing device, may include one or more short-range wireless readersfor reading a signal transmitted by the short-range wirelesstransmitter. In some embodiments, the short-range wireless transmittermay be a portable contactless smartcard transceiver attached to, orembedded within, the first device. When the first device is placed nearthe second device, the short-range wireless transmitter of the firstdevice may transmit a signal, which may be received by the one or moreshort-range wireless readers of the second device. The signal mayinclude an identification of the first device, which may indicate a typeof the first device, and may include other information. Information fromthe signal, along with related information, such as, for example, signalstrength information from the one or more short-range wireless readers,may be sent to a processor of the processing device, which may use thesignal strength information to determine a relative location of thefirst device. Information about the relative location of the firstdevice may be used by the processing device to facilitate use of thefirst device with the processing device. In one embodiment, the firstdevice and the second device may be display monitors and the informationabout the relative location of the first device may include informationabout the relative location of one of the display monitors with respectto another of the display monitors.

In other embodiments, the devices may be other types of devices. Forexample, in an embodiment consistent with the subject matter of thisdisclosure, the first device may be a digital camera including ashort-range wireless transmitter, and the second device may be acomponent of a processing device, such as, for example, a keyboardhaving one or more short-range wireless readers for reading a signaltransmitted by the short-range wireless transmitter. When the digitalcamera is placed close to the keyboard, the one or more short-rangewireless readers may read a signal transmitted by the short-rangewireless transmitter. An identification of the digital camera, which maybe included in the short-range signal, may be provided to a processor ofthe processing device, along with signal strength information from theone or more short-range wireless readers. Based, at least in part, onthe signal strength information, the processor may determine a relativelocation of the digital camera and may provide feedback to a user tofacilitate use of the digital camera with the processing device. In oneembodiment, the feedback may include step-by-step instructions for auser to configure the processing device for use with the digital camera.

DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and otheradvantages and features can be obtained, a more particular descriptionis described below and will be rendered by reference to specificembodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings.Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments andare not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope,implementations will be described and explained with additionalspecificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 a functional block diagram illustrating an exemplary processingdevice, which may be used in implementations consistent with the subjectmatter of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating display monitors,which may be used in embodiments consistent with the subject matter ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating one way in whichshort-range wireless readers, included in an exemplary display monitor,may provide information to a processor of a processing device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a digital camera and a keyboard, which may be used inembodiments consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure.

FIGS. 5-7C are flowcharts illustrating exemplary processes, which may beperformed in embodiments consistent with the subject matter of thisdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an application registering toreceive notifications with respect to one or more devices and receivinginformation regarding the one or more devices via an application programinterface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments are discussed in detail below. While specificimplementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is donefor illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant artwill recognize that other components and configurations may be usedwithout parting from the spirit and scope of the subject matter of thisdisclosure.

Overview

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technologydeveloped from existing contactless identification technologies andinterconnection technologies. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)technology, typically, is used as an alternative to bar coding. RFIDtechnology uses devices attached to objects to transmit data to an RFIDreceiver. Both technologies involve short-range wireless communication.

In embodiments consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure, afirst device may include a transmitter for transmitting a short-rangewireless protocol signal. The transmitter may be a portable contactlesssmart card transceiver attached to, or embedded within, the firstdevice. The transmitter may transmit information identifying the firstdevice via a short-range wireless protocol signal, such as, for example,a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol signal or a Radio FrequencyIDentification (RFID) protocol signal. One or more readers may beattached to, or embedded within, a second device, which may beassociated with a processing device. The one or more readers may receiveand read information included in a transmitted short-range wirelessprotocol signal. In one embodiment, the first device and the seconddevice may be display monitors, located close to one another, to be usedwith the processing device. In another embodiment, the first device andthe second device may be display monitors, located close to one another,and connected to different processing devices, wherein the processingdevices may cooperate such that the display monitors work cooperatively.In a third embodiment, the first device may be a display monitor and thesecond device may be a keyboard connected to the processing device.

In one embodiment a first display monitor may be connected to aprocessing device. The first display monitor may have attached thereto,or embedded therein, one or more readers for receiving and readinginformation from a short-range wireless signal, such as, for example, aNFC protocol signal, a RFID protocol signal, or other short-rangewireless signal. A second display monitor, to be used with the firstdisplay monitor, may be moved into a position close to the first displaymonitor. The second display monitor may have attached thereto, orembedded therein, a transmitter for transmitting a short-range wirelesssignal, such as, for example, a NFC protocol signal, a RFID protocolsignal, or other signal. The transmitted short-range wireless signal mayinclude an identification identifying the second display monitor. Theone or more readers of the first display monitor may read thetransmitted short-range wireless signal and may transmit informationregarding the short-range wireless signal to a processor of theprocessing device. The processor may determine a relative location ofthe second display monitor using a triangulation technique, and maydetermine an orientation of the second display monitor based, at leastpartly, on a strength of the signal received by the one or more readers.The processor may then use information related to the relative locationof the second display monitor with respect to the first display monitorto facilitate use of the second display monitor with the first displaymonitor. For example, the processing device may automatically configureitself to work with the second display monitor, in addition to thepreviously-configured first display monitor.

In an alternate embodiment, instead of automatically configuring theprocessing device to work with the second display monitor, theprocessing device may provide step-by step instructions to a user forconfiguring the processing device to use the second display monitor. Forexample, the processing device may display information indicating arelative location of the second display monitor with respect to thefirst display monitor and may ask the user to confirm the relativelocation of the second display monitor. By using the informationidentifying the second display monitor, the processing device maydetermine a type of the second display monitor and may provide detailedinformation to a user for connecting the second display monitor to theprocessing device and configuring the processing device to work with thesecond display monitor.

In other embodiments, another type of device may include a short-rangewireless transmitter, which may be a contactless transmitter, such as aNFC transmitter, a RFID transmitter, or another type of contactlessshort-range wireless transmitter. For example, the device may be adigital camera or other device that may be used with a processingdevice. Short-range wireless readers attached to or embedded within oneor more components of the processing device may read a signal from theshort-range wireless transmitter. A relative location of the device maybe determined by using a triangulation technique and the relativelocation of the device may be used to present a user with feedback forfacilitating use of the device. In one embodiment, the feedback mayinclude step-by-step-instructions for configuring the processing deviceto work with the device. For example, the processing device may presenta display showing the relative location of the device with respect tothe processing device or a component thereof, such as, for example, akeyboard, a monitor, or other component.

Exemplary Processing Device

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram that illustrates an exemplaryprocessing device 100, which may be used to implement embodimentsconsistent with the subject matter of this disclosure. Processing device100 may include a bus 110, a processor 120, a memory 130, a read onlymemory (ROM) 140, a storage device 150, an input device 160, an outputdevice 170, and a communication interface 180. Bus 110 may permitcommunication among components of processing device 100.

Processor 120 may include at least one conventional processor ormicroprocessor that interprets and executes instructions. Memory 130 maybe a random access memory (RAM) or another type of dynamic storagedevice that stores information and instructions for execution byprocessor 120. Memory 130 may also store temporary variables or otherintermediate information used during execution of instructions byprocessor 120. ROM 140 may include a conventional ROM device or anothertype of static storage device that stores static information andinstructions for processor 120. Storage device 150 may include any typeof media for storing data and/or instructions.

Input device 160 may include one or more conventional mechanisms thatpermit a user to input information to processing device 100, such as,for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or other input device. Output device170 may include one or more conventional mechanisms that outputinformation to the user, including one or more displays, or other outputdevices.

Processing device 100 may perform such functions in response toprocessor 120 executing sequences of instructions contained in atangible machine-readable medium, such as, for example, memory 130, orother medium. Such instructions may be read into memory 130 from anothermachine-readable medium, such as storage device 150, or from a separatedevice via communication interface 180, which may include a transceiverfor providing a wired or wireless communication interface to a network.

Exemplary Configurations

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary configuration including two displaymonitors, a first monitor 202-1 and a second monitor 202-2, which may beused in embodiments consistent with the subject matter of thisdisclosure. First and second monitors 202-1, 202-2 each may include ashort-range wireless transmitter 204 (also known as a target) fortransmitting a short-range wireless signal, which may include anidentifier to identify each respective monitor and other usefulinformation for configuring a processing device to work with therespective monitors. Transmitter 204 may be attached to the respectivemonitors, or may be embedded therein. In the exemplary configuration ofFIG. 2, transmitter 204 is shown attached to, or embedded within abottom right portion of display monitors 202-1, 202-2, althoughtransmitter 204 may be attached or embedded in a number of differentlocations of monitors 202-1, 202-2. The short-range wireless signal maybe sent using a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, a RadioFrequency IDentification (RFID) protocol, or another short-rangewireless protocol. In some embodiments, transmitter 204 may be acontactless transceiver.

First monitor 202-1 and second monitor 202-2 each may include one ormore short-range wireless signal readers 206 (also known as initiators).In the exemplary configuration of FIG. 2, each of monitors 202-1, 202-2may include four readers 206. Readers 206 may be located at a topportion, a bottom portion, a right-side portion, and a left-side portionof monitors 202-1, 202-2. Of course, in other embodiments, monitors mayhave more or fewer readers 206 located in different or additionallocations.

The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is exemplary. In other embodiments,other configurations may be employed. For example, first monitor 202-1may include one or more readers 206 and no transmitter 204, while secondmonitor 202-2 may include one transmitter 204 and no readers 206. Inanother exemplary configuration, either of first monitor 202-1 or secondmonitor 202-2 may be an ultra-wideband wireless monitor. Of course,numerous other configurations may be employed in other embodimentsconsistent with the subject matter of this disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary configuration of readers 204 in the firstmonitor 202-1. When readers 204 read a short-range wireless signal,information from the signal may be sent to a controller 302 of firstmonitor 202-1 via a Display Data Channel/Command Interface (DDCCI).Controller 302 may pass the information from the signal to processor 120via bus 110. In other embodiments, other configurations may beimplemented. For example, in one embodiment, readers 204 may pass theinformation from the signal directly from readers 204, via bus 110, toprocessor 120.

FIG. 4 illustrates other devices, which may be used in embodimentsconsistent with the subject matter of this disclosure. For example, adigital camera 402 may include transmitter 204 for transmitting ashort-range wireless signal. Transmitter 204 may be a contactlesstransmitter attached to digital camera 402 or embedded within digitalcamera 402. A keyboard 404 may include a number of readers 206 forreading a transmitted short-range wireless signal. In the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 4, keyboard 404 includes four readers 206 located ata top portion of keyboard 404, a right-side portion of keyboard 404, aleft-side portion of keyboard 404, and a bottom portion of keyboard 404.Readers 204 may be attached to keyboard 404, or may be embedded withinkeyboard 404. In other embodiments, keyboard 404 may include more orfewer readers 206, which may be placed at other locations of keyboard404.

In one embodiment, when a digital camera 402 is located close tokeyboard 404, readers 206 may read a signal from transmitter 204. Thesignal may include an identifier of digital camera 402. Readers 206 maytransmit information from the received signal, such as, for example, theidentifier of digital camera 402, to processor 120 directly, through acommunication interface used by keyboard 404, or via a keyboardcontroller (not shown). Processor 120 may receive information from thereceived signal and may look up the identifier in a table, therebyidentifying the signal as one being sent from digital camera 402.Processor 120 may have access to information regarding locations ofreaders 206 within keyboard 404. Processor 120 may further receiveinformation concerning a strength of the received signal from readers206 and may use a triangulation technique to determine a relativelocation of digital camera 402 with respect to keyboard 404. In someembodiments, processor 120 may cause a display to be presented to a usershowing a relative location of digital camera 402 with respect to somecomponent of the processing device, such as, for example, keyboard 404,or another component of the processing device, which may include one ormore readers 206. Further, processor 120 may display instructions to theuser, such as, for example, step-by-step instructions for the user toconfigure digital camera 402 to work with the processing device.

Exemplary Processing

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary process that may beimplemented in embodiments consistent with the subject matter of thisdisclosure. First, a device associated with a processing device, suchas, for example, a display monitor, a keyboard, or other device, havinga number of short-range wireless signal readers attached to or embeddedtherein, may detect and receive a signal transmitted from a short-rangewireless signal transmitter attached to, or embedded within a seconddevice, which may not yet be associated with the processing device, suchas, for example, a digital camera, a display monitor, or other device(act 502). The signal may include an identifier identifying the seconddevice as a monitor, a digital camera, or other device, and may includeinformation concerning a location of the short-range wireless signaltransmitter with respect to the second device. Information about thesignal, the identifier, and the location of the short-range wirelesssignal transmitter with respect to the second device, may be passedthrough a communication interface to a processor, such as processor 120,which may process the information, including signal strength informationfrom the short-range wireless signal readers, and may determine arelative location of the second device with respect to the first deviceusing a triangulation technique or other technique and may determine anorientation of the second device (act 504).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of act 504 fordetermining the relative location of the second device. First, aprocessor, such as processor 120, may receive information about areceived signal from multiple short-range wireless signal readers 206(act 602). The information may include signal strength information fromeach one of multiple readers 206, an identification of the seconddevice, and information regarding the location of the short-rangewireless signal transmitter with respect to the second device. Next,processor 120 may execute instructions to perform a triangulationtechnique using the signal strength information from each one ofmultiple readers 206 to determine a location of the second device withrespect to the device associated with the processing device (act 604).Further, processor 120 may execute instructions to determine anorientation of the second device based, at least partly, on the measuredsignal strength from multiple readers 206 (act 606). For example, if thesecond device is a display monitor, processor 120 may determine whetherthe display monitor is positioned in a portrait orientation or alandscape orientation.

Returning back to FIG. 5, the processor may then facilitate use of thesecond device with the processing device (act 506).

FIG. 7A is a flowchart of an exemplary process 506-A for performing act506 of FIG. 5 for facilitating use of the second device. First,processor 120 of the processing device may obtain relative locationinformation and orientation information with respect to the seconddevice (act 702). Next, processor 120 of the processing device mayexecute instructions to automatically configure the processing device towork with the second device (act 704). In some embodiments, configuringthe processing device to work with the second device may include theprocessing device querying the second device to determine whether thesecond device has one or more readers 206. If the second device has oneor more readers 206, then the second device may respond to theprocessing device with information concerning a number of readers 206included in the second device, as well as information concerninglocations of the number of readers 206 with respect to the seconddevice. Thus, the processing device may store information concerningreaders 206 included in the second device, as well as their locationswith respect to the second device. The information may be used at alater time to determine the relative location and/or an orientation of athird device, including transmitter 204, when the third device is placednear the second device.

FIG. 7B is a flowchart of an exemplary process 506-B for performing act506 of FIG. 5 in another embodiment consistent with the subject matterof this disclosure. First, the processor of the processing device mayobtain relative location information and orientation information withrespect to the second device (act 710). Next, the processing device mayexecute instructions to provide feedback to facilitate setup and use ofthe second device with the processing device. In one embodiment, thefeedback may include presenting, to a user, step-by-step instructionsfor configuring the processing device to work with the second device(act 712). In some embodiments, the processing device may display anindication of the relative location of the second device and mayinstruct the user, in a step-by-step manner, how to connect the seconddevice with the processing device and configure the processing device towork with the second device.

FIG. 7C is a flowchart of an exemplary process 506-C for performing act506 of FIG. 5 in another embodiment consistent with the subject matterof this disclosure. First, processor 120 of the processing device mayobtain relative location information and orientation information withrespect to the second device (act 720). Information about the seconddevice may then be provided, via an application program interface (API)to an application executing on the processing device (act 722). In oneembodiment, the application may pre-register to receive informationregarding one or more particular types of devices. The informationprovided to the application may include, for example, an identifieridentifying a device, such as, for example, the second device, arelative location of the second device with respect to the device, aswell as other or different information about the second device. Theapplication may then coordinate use of the second device, which may beconnected to a second processing device such that the device, connectedto the processing device, and the second device, connected to the secondprocessing device, may be used together in a cooperative manner (act724). For example, the application may provide information about thedevice associated with the processing device and the relative locationof the second device, with respect to the device, to the secondprocessing device.

In an embodiment consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure,a device, such as a first display monitor having short-range wirelesstransmitter 204, may be connected to a first processing device. A seconddisplay monitor, which may be associated with a second processing deviceand may include multiple short-range wireless readers 206, may be placedclose to the first display monitor. Information received by short-rangewireless readers 206 may be provided to processor 120 of the secondprocessing device, which may then determine relative location andorientation of the first display monitor using techniques previouslydiscussed, or other techniques. Based on the information received byshort-range wireless readers 206, information about the first displaymonitor may be provided, via an API, to an application executing onprocessor 120 of the second processing device. The application may thencontact the first processing device and coordinate use of the seconddisplay monitor with the first display monitor of the first processingdevice.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments consistent with the subjectmatter of this disclosure, an API may be provided to provide anapplication with information about a device detected via receivinginformation received through a number of short-range wireless readers206. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary application 802 and an exemplaryAPI 804. Application 802 may use API 804 to register application 802 toreceive notifications regarding one or more types of devices, such as,for example, display monitors, digital cameras, or other devices.Subsequently, application 802 may receive a notification regardingdetection of the one or more types of devices for which application 802registered to receive notifications. Further, application 802 may useAPI 804 to obtain information about a detected device, such as, forexample, a device type, a relative location of the device, anorientation of the device, a device ID, or different or otherinformation about the device.

Miscellaneous

Short-range wireless transmitters and receivers, such as transmitters204 and readers 206, which may use NFC technology, RFID technology, orother short-range wireless technology, may also be used for otherpurposes, such as swiping a smartcard, unlocking a processing device,such as, for example, a personal computer (PC), or other processingdevice, transferring data to other devices, authenticating a user to useone or more resources of a processing device, or other purposes. Forexample, a device, such as, a digital picture frame includingtransmitter 204, may be detected by a device, such as a keyboardincluding one or more readers 206. Information about the digital pictureframe may be transmitted to a processor of a processing deviceassociated with the keyboard, thereby causing the processing device totransmit digital images to the digital picture frame for display. Asanother example, a user may be carrying a device, such as, for example,a keychain, a digital camera, or other device, which may includeshort-wave wireless transmitter 204. When the keychain is close to oneor more readers 206 of a processing device, an identification of thedevice may be received by readers 206 and may be passed to a processorof the processing device. A level of trust may have been previouslyestablished with the processing device, such that the user may beauthenticated to use resources of the processing device based on thereceived short-range signal from transmitter 204 of the keychain.Further, the processing device may automatically configure itself to usethe device.

Conclusion

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter in the appended claims is not necessarilylimited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, thespecific features and acts described above are disclosed as exampleforms for implementing the claims.

Although the above descriptions may contain specific details, theyshould not be construed as limiting the claims in any way. Otherconfigurations of the described embodiments are part of the scope ofthis disclosure. Further, implementations consistent with the subjectmatter of this disclosure may have more or fewer acts than as described,or may implement acts in a different order than as shown. Accordingly,the appended claims and their legal equivalents should only define theinvention, rather than any specific examples given.

1. A tangible machine-readable medium comprising instructions for atleast one processor of a processing device, the tangiblemachine-readable medium comprising: instructions for determining arelative location of a first device based, at least in part, on astrength of a short-range wireless signal received through a pluralityof reader devices; instructions for identifying a type of the firstdevice and an orientation of the first device based, at least in part,on the received short-range wireless signal; and instructions forperforming an action to facilitate use of the first device with theprocessing device based, at least in part, on the identified type of thefirst device, the identified orientation of the first device, and thedetermined relative location of the first device.
 2. The tangiblemachine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions forperforming an action to facilitate use of the first device with theprocessing device, based on the identified type of the first device, theidentified orientation of the first device, and the determined relativelocation of the first device, further comprise: instructions forautomatically configuring the processing device to use the first device.3. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein theinstructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the firstdevice with the processing device based, at least in part, on theidentified type of the first device, the identified orientation of thefirst device, and the determined relative location of the first device,further comprise: instructions for automatically configuring theprocessing device to use the first device, and instructions forauthenticating a user of the first device based, at least in part, onthe information included in the received short-range wireless signal. 4.The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein theinstructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the firstdevice with the processing device based, at least in part, on theidentified type of the first device, the identified orientation of thefirst device, and the determined relative location of the first device,further comprise: instructions for providing feedback to a user withrespect to the first device, the feedback including information aboutthe relative location of the first device and setup and use of the firstdevice.
 5. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein theinstructions for performing an action to facilitate use of the firstdevice with the processing device based, at least in part, on theidentified type of the first device, the identified orientation of thefirst device, and the determined relative location of the first device,further comprise: instructions for providing information regarding therelative location of the first device to an application via anapplication program interface.
 6. The tangible machine-readable mediumof claim 15, wherein the instructions for performing an action based, atleast in part, on the identified type of the first device, theidentified orientation of the first device, and the determined relativelocation of the first device, further comprise: instructions forproviding information regarding the relative location of the firstdevice to an application via an application program interface,instructions for sending the information regarding the relative locationof the first device to a second processing device, and instructions forcoordinating usage of the first device between the processing device andthe second processing device.